Metallic railway-tie.



No. 838,097. PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906. F. E. FRENCH.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1906.

Witnesses undercut shoulders 5, which provide for the track-rails.

shaped plates, mounted for longitudina FRANKLIN E. reason,

OF RILEY. INDIANA.

,METALLIC RAlLWAY-T!E.

No. eeaoer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.- 11, 1906.

Application filed July 23, 1906. Serial No. 327,377.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN E. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riley, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful i Improvements in Metallic Railway-Ties, of wlnch the following is a specification, refer ence being had therein to the accompanying drawin s. .o

This invention relates to improvements in metallic cross-ties 'for railways and to the means for securin the traclerails thereon.

The obi'lect of t e invention is to improve and simp the construction of devices of this character, and thereby render the same more durable and efficient.

Further objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the structural features by means of which they are attained, will be made clear by an examination of the specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding portions throughout, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the improved metallic tie. -Fi 2 is a vertical longitudinal section throng 1 the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

The improved tie comprises two similar sections 1, referably cast hollow, of iron or other suitable metal. They are also preferably rectangular in cross-section, as shown, and have tapering inner ends 2, which are externally screw-threaded, as at 3. The threads 3 on one section are right hand threads and on the other section left-hand, and they are adapted to enter the similarlythreaded openings in the ends of a turnbuckle 4, which serves to adjustably connect said sections. Upon the upper faces of the sections 1 are formed transversely-extending seats 6 The outer base-flanges of the rails are forced into engagement with the shoulders 5 by clamping members 7, which are adapted to have their undercut outer ends 8 en age the inner base-flanges of l the rails, aswil be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2. The clam )ing members 7 are in the form of substantially triangular s idmg movement upon the tie-sections by reason of the engagement of their downwardly and inwardly bent tongues 8, with longitual-grooves 9 formed in the sides of said i sections, as clearly shown in the drawin s. The tongues 8 are formed integral with't 1e clamping plates or members upon their sides adjacent to their undercut outer ends 8. The opposite or inner ends 10 .of the clamping members are tapered and externall threaded, shown at 11, to enter similarlythreaded openings in a turnbuckle 12, which adjustably connects them. The threads 11 on the two ends 10 are right and left, so that when the turnbuckle 12 is rotated in one direction the clamping members will be forced apart to clamp the track-rails between their ends 8 and the shoulders 5 u on the tiesections, and when said turnbuckl is rotated in the opposite direction said clamping members will be drawn together and away from the track-rails, so that the latter may be re. moved from the tie.

The construction, operation, and advantag'es of the inventionwill be readily under stood irom the fore 0mg description, taken in connection with t e accompanying drawings. It will be seen that the provision of the turnbuckle 4 between the two tie-sections permits the latter to be-adjusted toward and from each'other, so thatthe ga e of the track-rails may be varied as desire or corrected when found necessary. The provision of the turnbuckle 12 permits the clamps 7 to be readily operated, so that the rails may be quickly and easily removed from or applied to and clamped upon the tie.

The tie is of simple, strong, and durable construction and may be manufactured at,a comparatively small cost.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A metallic tie comprising sections having oppositely-screw-threaded inner ends, rail-seats u )on said sections, rail-clamping members shdably mounted upon said sections and having their inner ends oppositely screw-threaded, a turnbuckle connecting the threaded ends of said clampin members, and a turnbuckle connectingthe t eaded ends of said tie-sections, substantially as shown and described. I

2. A metallic tie comprising sections having oppositely-screw-threaded inner ends and guidegrooves, clamping-plates upon said sections having oppositelyscrew-threaded inner ends, tongues on said c amping-plates slidably engaged with said grooves, a turnbuckle connecting the threaded inner ends of said clamping-plates, and a turnbuckle connecting the from each other, said rail-clamp connecting threaded inner ends of said tie-sections, suband adjusting means being independent of stantially as shown and described. said tie-section connecting and adjusting 3. A metallic tie comprising sect-ions harmeans, substantially as shown and described.

5 ing rail-seats, nieansconnecting said sections In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my I 5 for adjusting them toward and from each signature in presence of two witnesses. other, rail-clamping members for holding the FRANKLIN E. FRENCH. rails upon the rail-seats on said tie-sections, l Witnesses: and means connecting said rail-clamping i JAMEs GRAHAM,

1:: members for adjusting them toward and I J. S. WHITAGRE. 

